Window guides



April 19, 1960 T. J. RQBRIGHT WINDOW GUIDES 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 29, 1956 L4 ATTORNEY) April 19, 19 T. J. RIBRIGHTQ WINDOW GUIDES 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 29, 1956 IL ATTORNEYS WINDOW GUIDES 'Ihomas John Robert Bright, Leek Wootton, Warwick, England Application October 29, 1956, Serial No. 618,856

1 Claim. (Cl. 296----44.)

This invention relates to window guides of channel shape formation such as are commonly used on motor vehicles to receive and guide the glass windows into and out of their closed position. Such window guides generally known as window channels as at present generally constructed, are bent up from strip metal or are otherwise formed into channel cross-sectional shape and are provided internally with a fabric or other liner which provides a comparatively soft guide for the window, prevents window rattie and generally provides a reasonably good seal against the ingress of draught, dust and moisture.

. The chief object of the present invention is to effect certain improvements in the manufacture of such window guides and to provide efficient means for mounting such window guides in position on a flange or other structural part of the vehicle body.

A further object of the invention is to evolve a method of attachment or mounting of such guides which will permit the channel-shaped components to adjust their relative positions and their position in respect to the ve hicle body automatically in the event of them being out of alignment, which lack of alignment might in practice interfere with the free and easy movement of the window within its associated channel-shaped guides.

A Window guide in accordance with the present invention is of channel-shape in cross section and is formed with a number of spaced tongues adapted to make interconnection with a supporting flange or other part of a vehicle body or other structure with which the guide is to be associated, the channel-shape guide member being lined with fabric or other comparatively soft material which will engage the opposite surfaces of the window.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the blank from which the window guide in accordance with the present invention is constructed;

Figure 2 represents a elevation;

Figure 3 is an end elevation showing the guide applied to a supporting flange;

Figure 4 is an end elevation illustrating a slightly modified construction;

Figure 5 is a side elevation similar to Figure 2 but looking in the opposite direction;

Figure 6 is an end elevation illustrating a further modified form;

Figure 7 is a fragmentary perspective view illustrating the guide shown in Figures 2, 3 and 5 fitted with the internally arranged resilient covering material;

Figure 8 is a fragmentary perspective view illustrating a further modified construction;

Figures 9 and 10 illustrate in end and front elevation, a further construction of window guide composed of steel or similar wire; and

Figure 11 is a sectional view illustrating a method of supporting any of the window guides hereinbefore depicted in position upon a motor vehicle.

part of a window guide in side Referring in the first case to Figures 1 and 3, the window guide is constructed from a blank of sheet metal or other suitable material, the blank being indicated generally by reference numeral 1. As it is desirable for the window guide, when bent into the channel-shape formation shown in Figures 2 and 3, to be capable of being bent around curves of small radius to suit the rounded corners of the window glass, the blank is formed with a series of inwardly directed slots 2 which may be arranged opposite one another, or alternatively staggered. If arranged in staggered formation, it will be appreciated that the guide will be capable of a certain amount of bending movement in two planes, which may be of advantage in certain cases.

it will be seen that the blank is formed with a number of tongue portions 3 which are pressed downwardly out of the blank into a position shown in Figures 2 and 3, these tongue portions being intended to secure the guide in position upon a supporting flange 4 or equivalent part. The tongue portions are curved as at 5 to provide a lead to facilitate the window guide being applied to the supporting flange.

To render the tongue portions more rigid or give them increased stiffness, they are corrugated as at 6.

To maintain the window guide in position upon the supporting flange, the centre part of the blank is formed with a series of downwardly pressed tang portions 7 which are so arranged that they will not interfere with the window guide being slid into position upon the supporting flange, but will frictionally engage the adjacent 7 surface of the supporting flange and effectively'prevent its accidental removal. These tangs may be pressed out of the blank so that each tang is of substantially triangular form, the edge of the material adjacent the openings formed by the formation of the tongue portions being pressed downwardly for this purpose into a position in which the tangs lie at right-angles to the plane of the blank. Alternatively they may take the form of depressions of V or arcuate shape in cross section, the arrangement in either case being such that the extremity of the tang will, when the window guide is in position on the supporting flange, tend to bite into the surface of the metal and thus hold the window guide firmly in position.

The right-hand part of the blank shown. in Figure 1 is shown covered with a rubber, plastic or other covering material generally indicated by reference numeral 8, and this material may be applied when the window guide is in the form of a flat blank, or alternatively may be applied when the window guide has been bent into its channel-shaped formation.

Referring now to Figure 4 of the drawings, this illustrates a small modification in that, instead of forming the tangs on the channel-shaped part, they are formed on the tongues 3 near their extremities, and consequently frictionally engage the underside of the supporting flange.

The corrugated formation of the tongues is illustrated clearly in Figure 5 and in the ease of Figure 6 the tongues, although not corrugated, extend from the upper edge of one of the limbs of the channel shaped portion and depend downwardly, this arrangement being to enable the guide to be mounted with one of the limbs parallel with its supporting flange. In this case the tangs 7 are formed on one limb so that they lie directly opposite the tongue portions 3. It will be appreciated that the tongue portions 3 may, in this case, be of much greater width than those previously illustrated and may, in fact, be the full width of the material between the slots 2.

In Figure 7 the complete window guide is illustrated, and it will be seen that the channel-shaped component has had a rubber, plastic or other covering 8 applied to it during the course of manufacture and into the in- Patented Apr, 1 9, 1960 terior of the channel has been inserted a fabric or other edgewise while the pins 12 will also have a certain comparatively soft lining y which may have a pile surface, the longitudinal edges of the lining being turned outwardly and downwardly to embrace the upper edges of the limbs of the channel. As the rubber covering has been applied to the metal blank when the latter was in a flat condition, it will be seen from Figure 7 that the rubber covering has covered the tongue 3.

In the case of Figure 8 the rubber covering has been omitted and the fabric or other lining applied directly to the interior of the. channel. To secure the lining in position, the edges of the channel are turned outwardly as at ltl'to grip the longitudinal edges of the lining material, whilev the channel at its lower ends is bent as at 11 to grip the lining at its lower corners.

Figures 9 and 10 illustrate an alternative method of forming the channel, and in this case the channel is com posed of steel wire which is bent into the crimped formation shown; In this case the cross sectional form of the wire component will again be channel-shaped, but at spaced intervals the wire will be bent to provide the downwardly depending tongue portions 3 which in course of manufactured the channel will be formed with tangs 7 which project upwardly and frictionally engage the surface of the supporting flange or equivalent part. In this construction it is preferred ot provide the wire component with a surrounding covering of rubber, plastic or other suitable material which can be applied by a moulding technique, but alternatively the wire may be enclosed in a' woven fabric or other covering which may be adhesively'or otherwise secured in position upon the wire structure. In such a case a second fabric or other covering may be applied to the interior of the channel, substantially as in the case of Figures 7 and 8, to provide a resilient support for the edges of the glass window.

Figure 11 illustrates a method of supporting such a window guide in position wherein the supporting flange is floating, i.e. it is permitted a certain amount of movement in two planesso that the oppositely positioned win dowgu'ides will effectively engage the glass window and will, in fact, adapt themselves automatically to any bad fitting or misalignment of the flanges and window guides which may have occurred during assembly. In this case the supporting flanges 4 are mounted on a series of pins 12 which have a sliding connection with apart 13 of the vehicle or other structure, each pin 12 carrying a coil spring or other resilient component 14. It will be appreciated that the pins 12 will be free to slide relative to the parts 13 against the action of their associated springs and consequently the window glass will be gripped amount'of pivotal movement in relation to parts 13 to compensate for any misalignment of the window guide components.

The woven or other covering material applied to any of the window guides described and illustrated may be secured in position in any suitable way. For example, the channel may be provided with projecting spikes or tangs which after perforating the covering or lining, may be turned over or clenched, or alternatively the lining may be sewn or adhesively secured in position while the pile finish may be sprayed on directly to the inner surface of the channel or indirectly on to a rubber base.

It will be appreciated that a window guide constructed as hereinbefore described can be quickly and easily mounted in position upon a supporting flange or other support and by virtue of its construction will, with or without the form of mounting shown in Figure 11-, compensate to a considerable extent for any bad-fitting-or misalingment of the parts.

I claim: V

A Window guide of resilient material comprising an elongated channel-shaped clip having a plurality of longitudinally spaced slots originating a t-the longitudinal edges of said clip to permit said clip to bend freely and to be fitted upon sharply curving flanges, said clip having a plurality of L-shaped tongues projecting from the base of said clip and integral with said clip intermediate said slots, said tongues being corrugated to increase their rigidity and being intended to support said channel on, and to clip over, a supporting flange, and said cliphaving a plurality of triangular-shaped tangs integral therewith and projecting into the space between said tongues and the base of said clip, the tangs each lying in a plane which is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said clip so that said tangs act as columns loaded in compression when said clips are mounted on said supporting flange.

References Cited in the file of'this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

